1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for enabling an image to be formed by appropriately coating processing solution on an image recording material such as a photosensitive material or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, when copies are made of a color film original or a color printing original onto photosensitive material such as a silver halide photosensitive material or the like, the exposure, developing, bleaching/fixing, washing, and drying processes are each performed in sequence on the photosensitive material.
The developing, bleaching/fixing, and washing are carried out by coating the photosensitive material by immersing it in each of storing developing, bleaching/fixing, and washing processing solutions stored in developing, bleaching/fixing, and washing tanks respectively, in sequence.
However, when the photosensitive material is coated by being immersed in the solutions stored in each of the tanks, there are disadvantages such as a large volume of processing solution being required and disposal of the waste solution resulting from the used processing solution being necessary.